Crops of Collectible Gardening Books

Long ago, before the era of television and the internet, people relied on books to teach and inspire them about the world of gardening. Now, gardening books, manuals and catalogues are becoming more and more collectable - but more for the interest of the topic than for the monetary value of the books. AbeBooks booksellers have hundreds of unique books on gardening; check out these titles or search for more new, used, rare and out of print books to add to your collection.

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Gertrude Jekyll writing about her favourite gardens in one of the great garden masterpieces of the early 20th century. The atmospheric paintings of George Elgood with the crisp narrative of Gertrude Jekyll. First published in 1906.

Contents include chapters on gardens in: ancient Egypt; western Asia in ancient times; ancient Greece; the Roman Empire; Byzantine gardens and the countries of Islam; the Middle Ages in the West; Italy in the time of the Renaissance and the Baroque style; Spain & Portugal -- France -- England -- Germany & the Netherlands in the time of the Renaissance; the time of Louis XIV; the French garden in European countries; China and Japan; the English landscape garden; tendencies of garden art in the 19th century; modern English gardening; and landscape architecture in North America.

This is the rarest of Papworth's works following on the success of "Rural Residences". Within the context of Regency landscape architecture, Papworth proposes a variety of rural improvements which led to the "Picturesque" style of garden design, for which the English became famous.

This beautifully illustrated volume gives a wealth of information on familiar wild flowers, which will enhance the readers enjoyment of them. Forty plants are described in each volume, with a summary of each at the start, followed by a full description with a full-page color illustration.

One of the key books in landscape gardening history. Published between important works by Downing and Eliot, it documents the evolution of design in American gardening. Over 600 pages, accompanied by many lithographic plates illustrating completely landscaped suburban residences. In addition to design there is an extensive part of the text given over to the recommendation of plants, trees, and shrubs for ornament.

Eight Divisions in all. First issued in monthly parts 1884-1887; then enclosed in these charming bindings. The editor, Curator of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, was assisted in his task by colleagues in some specialized subjects, but the glory of this achievement is his alone. A treasure -house for the botanically minded gardener and a beautiful book in its own right.

Milners father, Edward Milner (1819-94) from Chatsworth, was a close colleague of Paxton in all his later work. Milner succeeded his father as Principal of the "Crystal Palace School of the Art of Landscape Gardening and the Improvement of Estates" at Sydenham where he carried out his inherited specialties of work on fountains, terraces, hothouses and planting, all of which are described here in relation to country houses, public parks and cemeteries.

Written in 1770, this book is an important work on landscape gardening. Allibone states, "the taste for English gardening makes great progress here..." Whately was "the earliest writer I believe on the subject, landscape gardening. From his work which went through several editions, subsequent writers have borrowed largely, and generally with little acknowledgment...".